Fairytale in Red
by HollyC
Summary: Based on a fairy story about a yellow goblin, Fraser must help Meg break a spell.
1. Default Chapter

Fairytale in Red 

This story is adapted from the fairy story "The Yellow Dwarf"

Long long ago in a country of great extremes both of weather and national characteristics, there lived a queen and her darkhaired daughter. Meg was the most beautiful princess in the far north, her beauty was so well known that 20 suitors at a time would ride their quarter horses to her outpost to try to persuade her to date them. She could never make her mind up so she would decline them all. Her mother, being advanced in years was despairing of ever seeing grandchildren so she resolved to take a trip to Alaska to the lair of the Arctic Fairy to ask advice concerning this stubborn daughter who by this time had broken her mother's heart by joining the Mounted Police Force (for Meg was not only lovely but honest and compassionate too).

It was little consolation to the queen that her daughter was doing remarkably well in her chosen career and was rapidly rising through the ranks. She packed a bag of a few essentials and began the long trek by dogsled to the foriegn land that was Alaska and the fortified castle of the Arctic Fairy.

As in all these tales the journey was wrought with hardship and difficulty. The castle was just in sight when the exhausted queen was stopped in her path by the two fur clad goons who were the Fairy's Guards. Unable to get past them she fell asleep in a cave and was visited by a little speckled man eating donuts. The Little Speckled Man ( so called because of the spots that flourished abundantly on his body) said to her in a gleeful French accent, "Queen of the North, I know why you have come here. Promise me your daughter's hand in marriage and I will save you from the goons."

The queen was forced to consent and in an instant found herself back home in her warm bedroom; all that had passed seemed like a dream yet she grew so melancholy that even the great elixir, Prozac, did not help. Meanwhile beautiful Meg had been promoted once more and had settled in Chicago, an inhospitable town in the south where much evil abounded and magic was fast fading. One day, after a particularly distressing phone call from the Queen, she took it upon herself to visit the Arctic Fairy for help in finding a cure for the great melancholy that afflicted her beloved mother. As her mother had done before her, she packed a bag and set off by horse to the Fairy's Alaskan Lair. Also as her Mother had done, she fell exhausted near Speckled Man's hideaway, and as she fell asleep she could hear the taunts and lewd remarks of the two goons.

The small Speckled Man appeared to her with this message, "Princess, you need not fight the goons for the Fairy's help. I have your answers. Your Mother is depressed because she promised me your hand in marriage. I will save you from the lascivious goons if you honour that promise." Meg, being an astute woman, and having learned a thing or two in Chicago about deception, crossed her fingers and agreed to the deal.

When she awoke she found herself slumped over her desk in the Windy City. She lifted her head from her arms to see the most handsome apparition in red serge: "Excuse me Ma-am, Constable Benton Fraser reporting for duty." At her startled gaze he continued, "I've been on sick leave..." Still reeling from her unpleasant Alaskan experience, she saw entwined on her finger a nasty piece of wiry black hair and she cut him off with a curt, "Dismissed, Constable" and as he closed the door quietly behind him she lay her head on her arms and sobbed as if her heart would break.

Meg continued to be surly and melancholy, she was even worse when Constable Fraser was around as she found it harder and harder to resist the effect his looks and manners had on her. There was no doubt about it, had she not promised herself to the little French goblin, she would wholeheartedly be able to pursue the most perfect man she had ever met. Her frustration manifested itself in the most unpleasant ways, particularly whenever she was in contact with the object of her desire. She set him the most menial tasks in the hope that would force him to request a transfer but he accepted all her ill treatment with grace and devotion. She found herself fighting all her instincts which begged her to treasure and care for this adorable man. But knowing her pact with the evil goblin and feeling the hair on her finger tighten whenever she tried to confess her true feelings, she had to keep her distance. It was the hardest thing she had ever had to do, each day in his presence brought her heart closer to breaking.

One evening she had cause to visit him at his lodgings in a most dangerous part of town, all on the pretext of having him sign some paperwork, but in reality so she could catch an insight into his private character. What she saw horrified and shamed her; whereas she lived in luxurious surroundings, with every creature comfort, wanting for nothing, he ocupied nothing short of a hovel with a faithful Mutt his only companion and solace. She felt deeply ashamed to see her heart's desire living like a pauper and even so lowly as to be ironing his own boxer shorts. She had to bite her lip hard to stop herself offering him the services of her manservant. He had been welcoming and polite, even a little nervous in her presence a trait she found utterly endearing. She could hardly take her eyes off his bare forearms and muscular shoulders and fantasised about what lay beneath his remaining mountie uniform. The eggs he served her tasted of pure nectar.

From that evening she could not get him out of her mind, the smell of him, the sight of him haunted her dreams. Dreams which were only partially fulfilled some weeks later when the desire had reached an unbearable intensity. It all started when he had sung the most divine lullaby in a voice so sweet and melodic the birds cried in envy. They were in a huge horse drawn coach full of mounties who were drugged by two wicked wizards bent on world domination. There had been some hair raising moments culminating in a kiss on the roof of the coach as it thundered fast through the prairie. That kiss had sealed her fate.


	2. chap 2

. Benton Fraser closed the drawer of his impossibly neat desk and sighed, "Dad I really need your help with something."

He turned to the parka clad spirit who leaned up against the hat stand (A tribute to his non corporeal status, the hat stand did not give way)  
"After that passionate kiss on the coach, I truly thought we had a committment, but she has told me to forget it all. And try as hard as I can I find it impossible to obey her order."

"Ah women trouble, son, always a tricky subject, worse when you're talking about those with blue blood." Fraser senior shook his head and tsked.

His son scowled, "What on earth are you talking about? She has red blood, like her red serge; her red blood courses trough her veins like mine does, her heart beats with a passionate intensity like mine..." Benton's eyes clouded over only to refocuss when he registered his father's fingers clicking before his face.

Coughing, he returned to the matter in hand, "To tell the truth, Dad, I don't know where I am with her. I think I could really grow to love her, and I suspect she feels the same about me, but just as I think I'm getting somewhere she grows all cold towards me again. Is that normal behaviour for women?"

"Yes, son"

"Oh. Well thanks, Dad"

"You're welcome. Glad to be able to help."

Benton Fraser leaned back in his chair and sighed. Life was a conundrum, wrapped inside an enigma and coated with a fairy tale. And women were at the very heart of it all. A quiet tear coursed its way slowly from the corner of one blue eye as in his mind's eye he relived that Kiss that should have been the beginning of everything.

"Watch out son"

He jolted upright as the door to his office flew open with a thunderous bang. He barely saved himself from falling off his chair when he felt strong hands yank him up by the cross piece of his Sam Brown to find himself transfixed by the steely glare of hazel eyes and a shrill voice bellowed in his face:

"It's no use. I can bear it no longer. This has got to stop." Meg punctuated each phrase with a hard kiss to different parts of his face.

Were it not for the tight grip she had on his belt, he would have sunk to the floor in a swoon. Had the Fairy of All Mounties in Love heard his plea and granted his heart's desire? It seemed to be so.

An hour later their clothes back in place, slighly breathless from their exertions, Princess Meg and Benton Fraser composed themselves and settled down to making preparations. The first thing Meg had to do was ring her mother, then she must try to remove the hair from around her finger as that was where her engagement ring must go. Lastly she resolved tell her lover that she was no ordinary Mountie, well maybe that could wait. No on second thoughts...Oh what the heck. Ben's reaction to her news was, "Oh, so that's what my father meant by blue blood," which did nothing to reassure Meg of Fraser's state of mind. "I suppose love can make you a little crazy," she mused.

The ensuing weeks were filled with the happy arrangements. Dresses and suits were fitted, Francesca Vecchio was to be a bridesmaid and her brother, Ray, the Best Man, flowers were ordered, a banquet organised. All happened in a dream for Benton who felt himself the happiest man alive.

But as in all these stories their happiness was to be short lived, for although we may rejoice in the miraculous cure of the Queen, we must not forget the promise made to the Spotted Man with the French accent.

The Wedding Day arrived and Meg, dressed in the most splendid white gown with a three foot silken train prepared to walk up the aisle of St Michael's Church, where Benton and Father Behan waited at the altar in breathless anticipation. As she walked slowly up the aisle to the heavenly music of the St Michael's Girl's Choir singing "Ave Maria" Meg felt she had never known true happiness before, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw her husband to be in his Dress Reds waiting for her, his blue eyes misted over with joy.

"Hold!" A malicious voice echoed through the Church.

There in front of Meg crouched a hag with long curly black hair. Once upon a time she must have been quite a beauty, the thought crossed Meg's mind, unbidden.

"I am the Arctic Fairy, Victoria!" cackled the hag, "remember the promise you made to marry my friend, the goblin? You must keep you promise and I will claim Benton for my own."

Benton, rushed down the aisle, pushing the Fairy ahead of him. Once outside he drew his knife from his boot and breathing harshly, pressed it against her throat saying, "Begone, wretched Victoria, you have tried to ruin my life before, you shall not wreck my chances for happiness again. Begone or I shall slit your throat."

Meg (though secretly gratified) looked aghast at this uncharacteristic display of aggression from her mild mannered beloved. However, Francesca applauded and Ray shouted, "Attaboy, Ben.!"

At this point the Goblin appeared, as if out of thin air. He placed himself between Benton and Victoria and cackled, " I am your rival and I claim the Princess. She is bound to me by the hair round her finger."

Horrified, Benton replied, "If you were worth the bother, I would slit your throat too," At that the Goblin drew his cutlass, climbed on a mounting block, and challenged Fraser to a fight.

The wedding party proceeded to a piece of waste ground near The Lake they Call Michigan and there our hero prepared to do battle for his love. The sun turned as red as his blood and thunder claps shattered the awed silence. Bright swords of lightning cut through the polluted darkening sky. Benton drew his sword and crouched in a defensive position.

At the lake's edge the onlookers stared aghast, bathed in the harsh moonlight as an inhospitable evening drew on. Although the spotted man was small, he fought with the strength of two large humans, and Benton found himself fighting with increasingly defensive tactics. Nevertheless, the Mountie fought with great valour and determination, giving the goblin much trouble, he even managed to give his opponent a flesh wound in the calf, but he was momentarily distracted by a shout which diverted his eyes to Victoria, the fairy, as she struck princess Meg from behind with the hilt of a lance. Benton lowered his sword and rushed towards his fallen betrothed and her assailant oblivious to the warnings of Francesca and Ray.

The evil goblin, however, was far swifter. He leapt onto a waiting steed, swept Meg into his arms and was gone leaving a bewildered, dusty, forsaken Benton behind on the dark lake shore. His sword fell from his limp fingers, his gaze was fixed into the far distance, in his mind he heard words he had read recently in a book:

"Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is."

At that moment he knew that the madness of love had passed for him and that his roots were entwined with hers; this meant that nothing was more important than getting her back, for without her roots to sustain him he would bear no fruit, he would collapse and wither away... as he pondered a mist came over his eyes and the voices of those around him grew to whispers then faded away, he could feel his legs moving as if through soft snow, someone was leading him by the hand then that sensation too disappeared in a black haze.


	3. chap 3

Benton opened his eyes with some difficulty, his head was sore yet he had no memory of being injured, he felt a great heaviness in his heart. Confused he sat up to examine his surroundings. he was on a bed of animal furs in what seemed to be a cave, he glanced down at himself and the sight of his red serge brought the painful memories of the previous day back in a rush. He pushed himself weakly to his knees, Meg, he must find her.

He stood swaying trying to regain his balance, a glance around revealed to him that he was in a cave and walking only a few steps enabled him to locate the exit. He pulled back the curtain of furs to reveal a snow covered landscape bathed in the midday arctic sun. His heart sank, yes he was an expert tracker but without boots, food and warm clothing, he would not last long out there, not even with his strength and constitution.

A noise behind him startled him from his contemplation of the icy landscape and he turned to see the arctic fairy. She had performed an illusion to make herself appear taller and more slender, like the wraith who had so mesmerised him ten year's ago at fortitude pass, then again eighteen months ago in Chicago. Surely she must know he was beyond her grasp now, he could never fall for her wicked charms again.

Victoria 's laugh chilled his bones, "I never thought I would see you again, I thought you were dead from that wound in your back, so severe it looked and so still you lay. I was overjoyed to hear from the goblin that you lived. Now he has his love, and I have mine and we can all live blissfully forever together. No one can find us here, we are safe to have all the pleasures of the world. I will treat you like a prince and lavish all my love upon you. Come to me, Ben, my true love."

Backing against the wall, Benton shook his head, surely this was some monstrous dream from which he would soon awaken to find himself in his lover's arms? He sunk slowly down the cold cave wall as Victoria loomed closer and closer.

As the days passed and Benton grew progressively sadder, Victoria realised that her fairy charms were not affecting him. He would sit slumped against the cool cave wall a faraway wistful look in his eyes, unspeaking, barely moving, hardly eating. She knew that he would pine away if she did not move him somewhere less remote so she decided to change her tactics. Summoning her magnificent dogsled, she wrapped her former lover in warm furs and led him to the vehicle. He offered no resistance, did not even grant her a look of gratitude from those icey blue eyes. She sighed as she took up the reins, he would not be able to resist her magic for much longer, not if they were somewhere warm enough to melt the frost from his heart. She would do everything in her power to make him forget the Dragon Princess and surrender himself to her own ministrations.

She had a Lakeside Palace near the Windy City and there they would be married and live in splendour. These musings kept her happily preoccupied as her team of dogs sped across the tundra, her long tresses flying out behind her, her cape flapping in the draft. The only noise, the panting of the huskies and the occasional sob from her prisoner.

"Open your eyes, Ben, we have arrived."

The mountie woke from distressing dreams to the vision of a steel castle with a large picture window. Leaning on the sill of this window, one graceful hand cupping her chin was his beloved Princess Meg. Seeing her wipe a tear from her eye, his heart skipped a beat and he gasped. His cry of "Meg" was whipped away by the wind and his attempt to leap out of the sled were unsuccessful, so securely had the Fairy strapped him in. Much of his strength had faded anyway, through lack of exercise and sustenance. They sped on to the other side of the great lake.

At the casement Princess Meg was stunned to see her beloved Benton being driven in style along the icey forshore by her evil rival Her heart shattered with the realisation that the mountie had given himself over to the forces of darkness. She let out a loud howl of despair and fell to the floor of her prison sobbing .

The Lakeside Palace was truly a splendid place, bordered by the rocky lakeshore on one side and fences of emeralds on the others. Benton resolved to regain his strength in order to free Meg from her prison of steel and to that end pretended to have affection for Victoria in order to gain her trust. She had deceived him in the past, now it was his turn for revenge. As the days passed she trusted him more and more until one day she granted his request to walk by the shore. He had been exercising regularly in the Palace gym and swam daily in the Palace Pool, he had regained his appetite and his strength, affter all he did not know what sort of challenges his quest would bring him. He looked across to the other side of the lake where the steel palace of the Little speckled Man glinted in the watery winter sunlight.

Somewhere in that building was Meg, she needed him, she loved him. He brushed a finger across his lips and relived her kisses in his mind. Soon my love, he whispered, I'll come for you.

"Where have you been, son? Haven't been able to find you for weeks." The gruff voice of his father startled Benton out of his reverie. He was busy brushing wolf hairs off his dress uniform. "I'm not sure, a cave somewhere in the arctic circle, I saw the northern lights there."

"You need help, son."

"Yes Dad, I've got to get Meg back."

"I'm sending you some help son, be brave."

With that mysterious answer, his father strode off into the mist. Benton sighed, why were apparitions always so obtuse? And what sort of help did he mean? He'd only helped him once before and that was with the capture of Gerard. Other efforts, such as lending him his revolver, had been futile.

He turned his gaze back to the lake, it was harder to see the Palace now as the sky was darkening, there was an odd rippling motion in the water too which on further observation resolved into a shape. Benton could hardly believe his eyes, yes by now he should be accustomed to seeing things noone else could see but this mermaid defied all rational explanation even in these vaguely magical times. She had long dark brown hair, a high domed forehead, pale brown skin and an alluring smile. Her voice tinkled with resonant laughter though the content of her ensuing speech was sombre.

"Hello, Benton.Your father has asked me to help you free your woman from the goblin's castle. My name is Elaine. Of course if you happen to change your mind about her, we could always work out a...modus vivendi." With that she winked suggestively.

The effort was lost on Fraser. "Why thankyou kindly, er, Miss-"

"Elaine"

"Miss Elaine, how can you help me?" Fraser reddened, "Forgive me for mentioning this but you have no...er...no legs."

"That's because I'm a Mermaid. I am the fastest creature in the water. Hop on my tail and I'll take you over-" She flicked her long fish tail in the direction of the steel palace, "there. I tell you, I am the sworn enemy of both the Arctic Fairy and The Little Speckled Man. I cannot begin to tell you what atrocities they have jointly wreaked on the Merpeople. I'll do everything in my power to destroy them. So come on, hop on, you can swim can't you?" She laughed again, a merry tinkling sound that gave Benton both courage and hope.

He took a deep breath and climbed onto Elaine's tail.

The wind was up that evening and the waves rolled. Benton clung onto Elaine's tale with desperation, often a wave would roll right over him as she bucked and it took all his strength to avoid getting two lungs full of e coli and all the other strange bacteria which made their home in The Lake they Call Michigan. When they had sailed for some time the waters were calm enough for Elaine to speak.

This is what she told the Mountie; "We are now approaching the lair of the Little Speckled Man, sometimes known as the Spotted Man, and occasionally as the Goblin with the French accent. I know him as Henri. As his Palace is well guarded you will have many enemies to fight before you can reach your princess."

She paused to pull her wet tresses away from her mouth and reached into the hidden depths of her costume from which she drew a long, lethal broadsword. She took another deep breath and continued,"Take this sword with which you may overcome every threat provided you never let it go out of your hand." She cut through the air twice, swiftly with the sword as a demonstration of its power. Ducking twice Benton thanked her and grasped its hilt in his clammy hand. The sword was heavier than a pistol or a dagger but felt very right, Benton copied her motion, parried with it and sliced the head off an imaginary enemy.

"Be careful!" his mount exclaimed,"you must treat it with respect."

Abashed, Benton lowered the weapon and drew himself upright, mentally preparing himself for battle. An image of Meg in her uniform concentrated his mind. When they arrived at the shoreline he dismounted and offered Elaine his heartfelt and kind thanks then sat on a rock to empty the water from his boots, mindful not to let go of the sword. Elaine left him with the promise of further assistance if necessary. He watched as she disappeared into the murky depths then looked up at the castle bathed in moonlight, thoughts of Meg fixed in his mind he began the steep climb along a craggy winding path.

The first hazards he encountered were two vicious sphinxes, he laid them dead at his feat with a satisfying thwack, thwack of the sword. Benton smiled grimly to himself, was that the worst the Speckled Goblin could do? He continued on his way until he came upon six fire breathing dragons. They, too were despatched rapidly. Was he beginning to enjoy this ? As he rounded the bend he was startled to come up against twenty four nymphs. He blushed the colour of his uniform. These nymphs, clad in garments Francesca Vecchio would consider too scanty, wore garlands of flowers in their hair and were of such ethereal beauty he could not bring himself to strike them. However the voice of the mermaid alerted him to the danger of these women of the night, "Strike! Strike them or you will never see your Margaret again." So he threw himself at the nymphs and slew each one of them.

Finally Benton arrived, exhausted, at the Palace walls. he could scarcely find the breath to call her name "Meg, I am here, your faithful lover come to rescue you."

Her face appeared at the casement, cast in the flickering light from the candles behind her, she seemed to Benton an angel.  
This thought was soon dispelled by her harsh voice and disdainful expression; "Faithful! You call yourself a faithful lover! I saw you in that sled with HER. I saw the two of you all cosy. I read the report about Fortitude Pass and the diamonds and the Polar bear and the bullet wound, I know that you have a soft spot for Victoria. Oh, I bet you planned this all along, leading me on just to humiliate me, pretending you wanted to marry me when all you really wanted was her...that witch"

Benton stood beneath the window temporarily lost for words gazing up at the woman whose precious image he had cherished in his mind all the weeks they were apart.

He finally managed to clear his throat enough to reply, "Yes you saw me with her but she had bewitched me and kept me prisoner in her palace at the other side of the lake. Nothing happened between us, I promise you meg, nothing at all. I didn't even touch those twenty four semi naked nymphs either, except, that is, to cut off their heads, and I shut my eyes whilst doing that. And the mermaid meant nothing to me, I just rode her back to get to you..."

He stopped short as the look on her face became even more dangerous, her jaw grinding in an effort at control. "Nymphs! " She shrieked, "Mermaids! Good grief Fraser it took you almost a year to get the courage to even KISS me and here you are a month alone with her and now you are cavorting with half the female population of fairyland.

Ashamed and bewildered Benton leapt up and grabbed a strategically placed vine stem and began to climb towards the object of his desire. "Meg" he gasped, through clenched teeth, "you are wonderful when you are angry, I love you," as he reached the ledge of the window he grasped her hand and the magic sword fell slowly and surely out of his hand and onto the rocks below.

Benton Fraser clambered onto the ledge, took Meg in his arms and kissed her with passion. All anger faded from her as she led her mountie into the plushly decorated room that had been her prison for so long. "Nothing will ever keep us apart again, " she promised him as she pushed him towards the silk festooned bed. He fell backward, rather startled as she began to release the buttons of his jacket. "Meg, do you really think it's appropriate to be-"

"Shhh" she interrupted as she removed his belt.

"But here? Now? It's not safe, and anyway, I think I dropped my sword on the way up-"

"Shhh, relax, we've waited too long for this already." Benton acquiesced and they set about kissing each other with an intensity born of deep longing.

However they had underestimated the guile of the Little Spotted Man who had discovered the abandoned sword and conjured up two giants. He flew into the room waving the heavy sword with difficulty, the giants grabbed a preoccupied Benton by the arms, pulled him off the bed and laid him in irons. Meg tried to wrestle the sword from the Speckled Goblin but was pushed to the floor by one of the demon's where she lay breathless and frightened for what would become of Benton now.

The Little Speckled man opened his mouth to reveal his blackened teeth and cackled, "Now your fate is in my hands. Mountie, if you will consent to my marrying the Princess, you shall have your life and liberty."

Benton struggled against his bonds and replied, "Never. She loves me and will marry me."

The dwarf was so angered by this defiance that he lifted the sword and drove it through the brave Mountie's heart as Meg stared disbelieving. Benton fell instantly to the floor lifeless and pale. the princess stood for a moment, petrified, then ran to his body and lifted his head onto her lap, stroking the fine dark hair. She turned tearful eyes to the goblin, "You hideous creature! You cannot force me to marry you. Not even this way. You could never have his nobility, his purity of heart, his strength and compassion. You were never any match for him. I will die for the love I have of Benton Fraser RCMP." And so saying she sank down upon his bloodied body, kissed his cool lips and expired without a sigh.

Thus ended the fate of these two faithful lovers. The mermaid, on seeing them cried sorrowfully, but could not revive them because all her magic power lay in the sword. So she transformed them into two palm trees, which fondly and affectionately united their branches together and forever entwined their roots at the lake's edge.

Ray blinked as a bright light brought him out of blackness into a blinding light. He blinked once more and his vision cleared, he pushed the grasping hands away and shook his head. He could hear vague voices but was unable to recognise them or make out their meaning. Besides he was still reeling from the events at the lakeside and then later, from what the mermaid, Elaine, had told him. Benny and the Dragon Lady, both dead. It couldn't be, yet he had seen the palm trees. He had stroked their slender trunks, he had placed a silver plaque beneath them and even had an inscription engraved on it.

"In memory of my best friend and partner, united forever with his one love. Benton Fraser, Margaret Thatcher RIP "

How was he going to get through the days without Benny ? They had grown closer than he liked to admit, they'd survived so much together then...this. Why did things like this have to happen? He blinked again, keeping his eyes open this time. The world was slowly coming into focus, the blurry shapes resolved themselves into people, into three people, one he did not know was dressed in white and she held the torch, he turned his head and blinked again to clear his vision, another figure revealed itself as his sister, Francesca and the third stood behind her towards the back of the room and was wearing a hat. A stetson. It appeared to have very dark hair, was tall, walking towards him, Ray could make out blue eyes.

The American Cop scowled, "Benny? That you ?"

His voice was hoarse and the words did not sound as they should to his ears. He took a sip of the water offered to him by Francesca and made to start again, aware of the scrutiny of three pairs of eyes. The concern was quite evident, they were waiting to hear what he would say. So Ray paused and replayed his memories in his mind. Goblins... castles... sphinxes... mermaids... magic swords...nymphs...mmmmmm he thought about the nymphs again, they were very nice. Very alluring nymphs, magic spells, duels, ...the memories were starting to fade...Fraser dead, a sword through his chest, Dragon Lady sprawled across his body... Yet there was Fraser right in front of him. It seemed so real, but the rational part of his mind said, "don't incriminate yourself, Ray, there are no such things."

"Hey Ray" he heard his sister say, her voice betraying concern, not her usual robustness. Clearing his throat he finally managed to make himself heard, "Hey, Benny, Francesca. This is where I get to say "Where am I?" "

The Mountie came closer and sat down, "Ray, I am so sorry-"

"Fraser, wait, there's something I've got to say. It is so good to see you, you won't believe-"

"No Ray, listen to me before you say another word." Fraser directed his eyes towards the woman in white in a meaningful manner and mouthed the word "psychiatrist" Ray nodded. "I'm sorry I let you taste that Shaman potion, I didn't realise how potent it was. I know that it has the power to take a person to an alternative reality. One that can seem more real than that in which the user is living. Some shaman have been known to forsake the real world in favour of the illusory one, long after the effects of the drug have passed through their system. I hope that is not the case with you."

Shaking his head in reply, Ray lay back on the pillow. He had one hangover of a headache. The psychiatrist checked his eyes once more then pronounced him in reasonable shape and left.

"It really scared me when you keeled over like that Ray. Don't you ever do that to me again. We've been here all night waiting for you to come round, listening to you muttering on about all kinds of weird things.." Francesca poked him in the shoulder as she said this, in her brusque sisterly way.

"Well I'm feeling a lot better, thankyou, Francesca so I guess they'll discharge me soon. And before they do I'd like a word in private with Fraser, see you later."

Francesca left muttering about coffee and ungrateful brothers.

"What is it Ray?" Fraser asked on seeing a questioning look on his friend's face, the sort of look that demanded a straight answer, the sort of look Ray usually reserved for the interrogation room. He brushed a hand along the inside of his collar, was it getting warm in here? He was feeling distinctly uncomfortable under that scrutiny.

"Okay Fraser, I know everything about you and the Dragon Lady. So come on, spill the beans and tell me everything. If you try to leave anything out I'll know."

Adopting his "squirrel caught in the headlamp look" Fraser sat down on the chair near the bed and quietly said, "Oh dear."

End


End file.
